Thrill is back, so are crowds at amusement parks
(AP)

AP - Amusement parks thrown for a loop by the slumping economy over the last few years are starting to rebound, drawing bigger crowds over the past year and spending more money on new attractions and shows this season.

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Amusement parks have been a family favorite for years. The roller coasters. The Ferris Wheels. The illegal border crossings. Yes, there's a park based around that theme. There's a huge assortment of bizarre amusement parks around the world.

Cassidy Hopkins
Attendance has been slumping at Walt Disney's Florida resort this year, so the family entertainment giant is giving a new marketing campaign a try. "The Magic is Endless," is the ad's slogan, playing up the massive scale of Disney World's attractions.

For decades, SeaWorld parks have been associated with the visual of orca killer whales — most famously Shamu — jumping into the air for the amusement of large audiences. But amid growing criticism about the treatment of these animals and the safety of their trainers, SeaWorld has committed to not only ending these shows, but to also cease breeding orcas in captivity.

Photographer Stefano Cerio generally splits his time between Rome, Italy and Paris, France — but this past year he journeyed through China to explore its many and wildly popular amusement parks. Cerio was curious about what these parks had to offer, but not in the way most visitors are.

ByMarshall Hargrave:Six Flags Entertainment (SIX) is a summertime favorite. SIX has 18 amusement parks located across North America. Its properties include various theme parks, thrill parks and waterparks. The company has a solid moat given its high-barriers to entry, and since emerging from bankruptcy the company is being underappreciated.

A Canadian-born psychologist who studies violence says the Baltimore riot is primarily driven by “Type T” (thrill-seeking) teens at the end of a long winter, with probably few social or racial justice motives.
“The death of Freddie Gray is probably the opportunity and pretext for riotous fun, thrill, risk and profit (looting),” said Dr. Frank Farley, a professor of psychology at Temple University in Philadelphia and a past president of the American Psychological Association.